The present invention relates to a system for scoring the performance of shooters at a target range. A preferred embodiment of the shooting range target system of the present invention is adapted for use on ranges used by military, law enforcement, and other groups that require their participants to demonstrate weapons proficiency through a scored test or simulation. Such scores are typically determined based on the number of times the shooter hits the target and the location of those hits. While some such tests utilize static targets, others may require targets that appear and disappear at different times and at different locations throughout the test.
The most common method of scoring shooter proficiency tests is to have a person in protected location deploy, retract and score the target. This practice is, however, labor intensive and typically results in a delay while results are tallied before being reported to the shooter or the range master. Other prior art systems that have attempted to automate shooter proficiency tests have utilized components that are different from what the shooter would typically use in the field such as specialized guns, lasers, or microphones.
One object of the current invention is to address such limitations by providing an automated shooting range target system that allows shooters to use the same equipment utilized in the field; does not require manual deployment, retrieval, and scoring of targets; provides prompt reporting of scores to the shooters and optionally the range master; and does not require expensive high speed photography equipment and does not require expensive radar, sonar, or other types of specialized sensors.